What is AAPP
Since the 1988 popular democracy movement was crushed in a ruthless crackdown by the military regime, thousands of people have been arrested, tortured and given long prison sentences for their beliefs and political activities. Moreover, even after political prisoners are released, they continue to face horrible treatment. The military uses all available means to intimidate and harass former political prisoners in order to prevent them from conducting political activities. When extraordinarily sensitive occasions take place in the country-such as the anniversary of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising-former political prisoners are usually re-arrested, interrogated and detained for an unlimited amount of time without reason. The military regime also uses many different tactics to attempt to isolate former political prisoners from society. The main weapon of the junta to marginalize ex-political prisoners is to deny them economic and educational opportunities. For these reasons, many former political prisoners are forced to live in exile. Many former political prisoners who previously gave assistance to their fellow political prisoners wanted to continue these activities. In order to be effective and efficient in performing these activities, and to honor student leader Min Ko Naing who was only recently released after serving nearly 16 years behind bars, former political prisoners established AAPP on the 11th anniversary of Min Ko Naing’s arrest.

What We Do:
1. Assist families of political prisoners to visit their loved ones.
2. Support prisoners by providing necessities such as food and medicine.
3. Monitor conditions in prisons.
4. Publicize arrests, conditions and life stories of imprisoned political activists and artists.
5. Advocate in accordance with international bodies, provide information to Amnesty International, International Committee of the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch and so on.
6. Assist former political prisoners with their mental and physical rehabilitation from torture and isolation.

Objectives:
1. To report on the military regime’s oppression of political prisoners who are presently detained in various prisons.
2. To encourage the support of international governments and organiza- tions in order to pressure the Burmese military regime to prevent the further persecution of political prisoners.
3. To secure fundamental human rights for political prisoners, and to provide them with basic necessities such as food and medicine.
4. To protect the political prisoners upon their release from prison from harassment and intimidation by the military regime, including when they are looking for employment, continuing their studies, associating with friends and colleagues, and especially to protect them from persecution if their political activities are resumed.
5. To aid in the reconstruction of the former political prisoners’ lives, includ- ing both their mental and physical well-being.

Steps to Improve Prison Conditions:
1. Physical and mental torture in all its forms should cease to exist.
2. Prisoners should not be subjected to lengthy periods of solitary confinement. A maximum period for solitary confinement should be imposed and enforced.
3. Sanitation projects should be implemented inside prisons to improve the general health situation.
4. Adequate and nutritious food and sufficient clothing should be pro- vided to all prisoners.
5. Access to adequate medical treatment should be available to all prisoners.
6. Political prisoners should not be transferred to remote prisons so that their families cannot visit on a regular basis.
7. Prisoners should be immediately released when their sentence is finished. This should be strictly enforced.
8. Access to a fair and public trial should be available.
9. Prisoners should have access to reading and writing materials and the opportunity to use them.

What You Can Do:
• Make a donation to support AAPP’s work.
• Put pressure on companies that are dealing with the military junta in your re- spective country to cut ties with Burma.
• Boycott tourism to Burma and products made in Burma imported to your region.
• Tell friends and family about torture victims and the situation in Burma and ask them to support the work of Amnesty International and AAPP.
• Demand the release of all political prisoners.
• Condemn arbitrary arrest and all forms of torture.